CAGW Highlights Wasteful Spending in War on Drugs

CAGW Highlights Wasteful Spending in War on Drugs

2/16/2005 2:45:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Tom Finnigan or Lauren Cook, 202-467-5300

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today called upon the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to significantly reduce funding and re-organize its high-intensity drug trafficking program, which has devolved into little more than another method for members of Congress to bring tax dollars home to fund superfluous projects.

"The high-intensity drug trafficking program was started to combat drugs entering our borders," said CAGW President Tom Schatz. "But, with non-border states like Colorado and Nebraska receiving money, insufficient dollars are moving to the most at- risk states, like Arizona, California, and Texas."

The high-intensity drug trafficking area (HIDTA) program was established in 1988 to combat drug distribution, manufacturing, and importation in areas highly susceptible to such practices. The program began in 1990, concentrating its efforts on five "gateway" areas for drugs entering the U.S.: Los Angeles, Houston, New York/New Jersey, South Florida and the southwest border.

There are now 26 high-intensity areas, including the Midwest (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and the Appalachian Region (Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.) The program's funds were first set aside to help target high-intensity areas and bar drugs from crossing U.S. borders on land, but as a result of the overly broad distribution of funding, success in the most vital states has been negligible. For example, during the last 14 years adult drug arrests in Arizona-one of the original high- risk states-have increased by about 90 percent statewide.

"Members of Congress are funneling these dollars away from key areas and back to their own districts," said Schatz. "While drugs are everywhere in the U.S., this program has been abused by Congress-the dollars are spread so thinly now they do little to help anyone."

Methamphetamine labs area most commonly highlighted by members of Congress who are attempting to bring funding to their districts under the HIDTA. Although meth labs are increasing in the Midwest, California still accounts for 75 percent to 90 percent of the nation's illegal meth production.

CAGW has highlighted three tiers of concern regarding the U.S. government's war on drugs: media/marketing campaigns, high- intensity trafficking programs and the Colombian Drug War project. The war on drugs has cost taxpayers more than $25 billion over 25 years. However, a report from the Washington Office on Latin America shows that the wholesale and retail prices of cocaine and heroin at or close to their lowest levels in 22 years; increased supply caused by the failure of the war on drugs can be blamed for the reduced cost.

CAGW will release a comprehensive report on the issue next month.

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. Web: http://www.cagw.org

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